After a lengthy debate with multiple attempts by Republicans to modify the legislation, the House of Representatives late Thursday postponed debate and a final vote on a bill that would place certain restrictions on federal immigration officers and create a method to sue agents for constitutional violations.
The bill passed in the Senate last week on a party line vote before arriving in the House, where on Thursday it faced debates on amendments that veered into historic disagreements over how much local and state law enforcement should be able to cooperate with federal immigration agents and whether the state’s laws were restricting police officers’ ability to do their jobs and exposing them to liability.
The House began debate early Thursday evening and adjourned around 11 p.m. after debating some of the dozens of amendments attached to it.
The bill establishes “protected areas” — including schools, hospitals, social service agencies and houses of worship — where people cannot be arrested solely on the basis of a civil offense, such as an immigration violation. It prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty. It bans former federal law enforcement officers who were found to be guilty of misconduct or retired during an investigation from being hired by Connecticut state or local police, and it requires police officers to complete 480 hours of training before they can be hired by state agencies.
The bill also includes a section that allows state residents to sue federal law enforcement agents for violations of their constitutional rights, a proposal created in response to the shooting of Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis in January.
It also gives the state Inspector General the right to investigate the use of deadly force by federal agents, or the death of someone who was in the custody of federal agents, and it removes immunity from officers who arrest or assault someone taking photos or videotaping their actions.
Debate is expected to resume on Friday.
